Sunday 29 September 2013

The Boyne - Order of Battle ...and yet more Table Prep

Most modern works have more accurately attempted to pin down the order of battle at the Boyne and certainly more than when I had attempted a previous refight a decade ago. I've used both Padraig Lenihan's and Michael McNally's more modern works, amongst others,  in this regard.

I've opted to use two commanders and two notables and experiment with multiple card draws, since this battle will have in excess of 30 units on the table at one stage. Maurice is not exactly designed for this, but let's see how we go with the experiment.





Ignoring those portions of the army staring each other out at Roughgrange, at Oldbridge and the Donore area we have:

Jacobite Forces

Commanders - Tyrconnel & Berwick
Notables - Hamilton & Sheldon

Infantry

1st Battalion James's Foot Guards (south of Oldbridge)
2nd Battalion James's Foot Guards (south of Oldbridge)
Clanricarde's Regt of Foot (at Oldbridge)
Antrim's Regt of Foot (south-west of Oldbridge)
Boisseleau's Regt of Foot (probably two battalions - south west of Oldbridge)

Cavalry (from west to east around Donore hill)
James's Life Guards
Tyrconnel's Horse
Sutherland's Horse
Parker's Horse

Clare's Dragoons
Dongan's Dragoons


Williamite Forces

Commanders - William and Schomberg
Notables - Wurttemburg

Dutch Gardes te Voet (2-3 Battalions) (cross at 10am toward Oldbridge)
Hugenot Regts (De la Melioniere, Caillemotte, Cambon)
Hanmer's Regt of Foot
Nassau etc. Regt of Foot (one Dutch Battalion)
Brandenburg Regt of Foot  (one Dutch Battalion)
Mitchelbourne's Londonderry Regt of Foot (Possible second with St.John)
Hamilton's Enniskillen Regt of Foot
Tiffin's Enniskillen Regt of Foot

The Danish Brigade (was eight battalions - four will be on table)
The Dutch Brigade (represented by a further six horse units on table - Ginkel's etc.)

Note: This discounts much of the available Dutch infantry that would otherwise be available in the latter stages. These would sit outside both the scope of the game and the army morale levels and their introduction late in the battle would not have an immediate effect i.e. the card deck refresh will already have been played, and the scale of the Jacobite retreat will be evident - in other words, the role of the Jacobite player is to seek to improve upon the historical result of the infantry delaying action and the elite Jacobite cavalry charges by the time the retreat to Donore Hill is played out.

In order to replicate much of the differences in morale between units, the following ratings will be used:

Jacobites
Guard units - regular
Infantry - conscript (reflects lack of training and matchlock over flintlock availability)
Cavalry - all elite on the day


Williamites
Guard Units - elite
Infantry - regular, Hugenot units lack pikes but do not get the improved firing dice
Cavalry - regular
Danish units - will most likely make these elite to reflect increasing numbers and pressure on eastern side of river in absence of additional regiments. This might also reflect their resilience to cavalry (be it with bayonet or the ubiquitous chevaux de frise).

Some shots of the setup to date. PVA is still drying on the river (simpler than getting yacht varnish), most of the units are on the field of battle (so that I can dust off and catalogue) and Oldbridge has made an appearance at last - sparse of buildings I know, but I need to get units inside so that helps. Another report (or perhaps even the battle) soon.



















4 comments:

  1. Looking good. I really like the look of the units from this period.

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  2. Yes, I think that's part of the attraction. The late seventeenth century is a real turning point/evolution with the demise of the pike (yet it is still retained in part) and the rise of musketry/ platoon firing (while some more traditional elements such as matchlocks and firing by ranks is still retained by some).

    The inherent inefficiencies mean that few large battles were fought but there were many sieges. That in itself lends credence to the use of the Maurice rules I think in that things rarely go to plan. Having said that, the Boyne is a 'big' battle for Maurice, so I'm thinking of using two commanders per side and doubling up on cards.

    Still one damned battalion of Dutch Guards to paint though grrr...

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  3. Some great looking troops, it certainly is a great period to play.

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